Whelen Engineering Names Assistant Chief Jen Elleraas as 2025 Whelen Everyday Champion

Whelen Engineering celebrates Assistant Chief Jen Elleraas for her leadership, bravery, and commitment to community as the 2025 Whelen Everyday Champion.

CHESTER, CT, UNITED STATES, November 5, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Whelen Engineering announced today that Assistant Chief Jen Elleraas of Garrison Fire and Rescue in Garrison, Minnesota, has been named the 2025 Whelen Everyday Champion. Each year, Whelen’s Everyday Champion program celebrates and recognizes outstanding emergency service departments, individuals, or groups by honoring demonstrations of bravery during an act of exceptional valor or tireless efforts in making a community a better or safer place to live.

Assistant Chief Jen Elleraas has dedicated her career to serving others - both in and outside of emergency response. By day, she works as Senior Director at a human services organization that supports people with disabilities and mental health challenges. By night and on weekends, she serves her community as a firefighter and leader with Garrison Fire and Rescue.

Jen’s journey into the fire service began unexpectedly after attending a local community event, where encouragement from firefighters inspired her to explore medical response training. That spark quickly became a passion. Today, she leads with compassion, teamwork, and a deep commitment to mentorship. “You never know what the next call will bring, but you know your community is counting on you,” she says.

In addition to responding to fires, rescues, and medical emergencies, Jen is an advocate for mental health and peer support among firefighters. Her leadership extends to creating opportunities for others through Women Explore Fire Day, an initiative designed to empower and inspire more women to join the fire service. “Currently, only about 9% of firefighters nationwide are women,” says Elleraas. “There’s still a perception that you need to fit a certain mold to be a firefighter, and that’s true to a certain extent. It requires a lot of hard work and dedication, so I wouldn’t say it’s a calling for everyone. But everyone deserves an opportunity to learn more about it and make their own choice.”

Jen will be honored on November 21, 2025, at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she will receive an award of distinction in the Whelen Hall of Champions. This special exhibit celebrates the stories of individuals who demonstrate heroism, bravery, honor, and exceptional community service.

“Jen’s dedication to service and her initiative to bring more women into the fire service is inspiring,” says Peter Tiezzi, General Manager of Motorsports at Whelen Engineering. “She embodies what it means to lead with passion and purpose, and we’re proud to celebrate her as an Everyday Champion.”

About Whelen Engineering
Since 1952, Whelen Engineering has been a proud ally and supporter of our nation’s first responders. Driven by a mission to protect those who protect others, Whelen provides high-quality, reliable products and technology to aid emergency personnel in their critical missions. Every Whelen product is designed, manufactured, and tested in America to perform at the highest level in any condition.

Whelen is also proud to partner with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. The company recently launched an initiative to donate $1 from every purchase of its fire and law enforcement products to the organizations, directly supporting first responders, their families, and their communities. Visit www.whelen.com/donation for more learn more.

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